As Gujarat Ambassador, I’ll Be Promoting State, Not Individual: Amitabh

Dismissing criticism by Congress over agreeing to become brand ambassador of Gujarat, Hindi film actor Amitabh Bachchan has said that he will be working to promote the state and not any individual, said media reports.

In an interview with a TV channel, he said that there was no politics in his acceptance of Narendra Modi’s offer to be brand ambassador for the state, reports said.

“Modi is a constitutional head of a state. I have been asked to promote heritage sites in Gujarat. Where does it bring politics?” he was quoted as saying.

Bachchan added: “There will be many chief ministers who will come and go, but Gujarat will remain. What I am doing is for a state and not for any individual.”

In response to a query about Congress targeting him due to his perceived association with Modi, the actor said that Gujarat belongs to the country and not to a party or individual, said reports.

“The state of Gujarat belongs to the country. It does not belong to Narendra Modi or to the Congress party or to the Communist party. Narendra Modi is the constitutional head of the state. A democratic decision has been taken by the people of the state and they have elected Narendra Modi,” he was quoted as saying.

“I was asked by the Gujarat government to promote tourism and if people are unhappy that I am going to be promoting tourism just because Narendra Modi is the chief minister, because some people don’t like him, and I should not be associating myself, (then) it’s ridiculous.”

“In that case, you should ask every industrialist in Gujarat to remove their industry. Why don’t you ask Mr Ambani to remove Reliance from there?” he asked.

Responding to another question regarding his relationship with Gandhi family, he said that it was not necessary to talk about this as it was a personal matter, said reports.

“I don’t think it is necessary because it is personal. And I am not comfortable talking about it. But these are matters that everyone has a right to apprehend, talk about and speculate,” he was quoted as saying.

To another query, the megastar said it was wrong to suggest that he was being attacked because of the Congress. “I don’t think that there is any meaning in the fact that there is just because it is the Congress party that I am being attacked. I don’t think that is correct.”